The Good Life Men's Magazine - July/August 2017

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CELEBRATING FOUR YEARS OF THE GOOD LIFE!

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NOT IN MY FAMILY - PART ONE OPIATE ADDICTION HITS OUR NEIGHBORHOOD MR. FULL-TIME DAD THE TODDLER DIET REVOLUTION

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A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A BEEKEEPER ON THE COVER - KEVIN WALLEVAND FARGO'S MOST FAMOUS STORYTELLER CAR CARE PURCHASING A USED VEHICLE HAVING A BEER WITH DILWORTH MAYOR, CHAD OLSON LOCAL HERO - SHANE TIBIATOWSKI NAVY VETERAN GIVES BACK TO VETS

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TWEET @urbantoadmedia The Good Life Men’s Magazine is distributed six times a year by Urban Toad Media LLP. Material may not be reproduced without permission. The Good Life Men’s Magazine accepts no liability for reader dissatisfaction arising from content in this publication. The opinions expressed, or advice given, are the views of individual writers or advertisers and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of The Good Life Men’s Magazine.

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BY: BRITTNEY GOODMAN

“Dead Overdose Victim Left Outside Sanford Walk In,” “Tainted Drugs on Fargo-Moorhead Streets Believe Connected to Overdose Deaths” and “Fentanyl Suspected in West Fargo 19year Old’s Death” - these are all local headlines from the past year. Also, drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death among Americans under 50 (New York Times). And it

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could be your child, your grandchild, your friend, your parent, or you that will have a personal struggle with these addictive drugs. For many of us, opiate addiction has already taken someone.

The most recent National Center for Health Statistics numbers showed overdose deaths in North Dakota increased from 20 in 2013 to 61 in

2015. In Cass County, the Coroner’s Office reported 46 deaths from 20122015 because of prescription pain relievers and heroin.

According to Fargo Police Chief David Todd, in Fargo alone, police responded to 69 opioid incidents in 2016 with 15 resulting deaths. Todd added, “These are just the ones we know about.

There are a lot of other overdoses that we don’t hear about.” Thus far in 2017 they know of 14 overdoses and 5 deaths in Fargo.

Sergeant Matt Christensen, Fargo Police Department, leads the Narcotics Unit. His detectives interact with people suffering from addiction “on a very regular basis” and in the past

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18 months they “have really seen an increase in opiate related substances.”

Some definitions: Opioids: Class of pain relieving drugs that include heroin and oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine and fentanyl.

Heroin: Highly addictive pain relieving opiate drug derived from morphine.

Fentanyl: Synthetic, short-acting pain reliever and sedative.

Carfentanil: Similar to fentanyl with a high toxicity in humans. It has potential as a chemical weapon.

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The impact is devastating. Christensen said: “In 2016, we had to notify 15 families that their son or daughter, mother or father, brother or sister, had died because of a drug overdose and explain what we were doing to try and make sure this did not happen to another family and to find out who was responsible for their family member’s death and why it happened.”

Todd asserted that drug addiction “is across every socioeconomic spectrum.”

It can be the CEO’s daughter, the pastor’s son, or the college student.

And many of our friends and relatives become addicted after using pills legally for pain or being given pills by a friend, thinking they are harmless.

Here are some startling statistics from the North Dakota Behavioral Health: • In 2015, almost 1.5 million prescriptions were dispensed to North Dakota residents, which have increased steadily since 2008 with 935,201 prescriptions having been dispensed.

• 54% of people who misuse pain relievers obtain them from a friend of relative.

• The majority of heroin users report that they abused prescription opioids before trying heroin.

• 4 out of 5 new heroin users started out misusing prescription painkillers.

Todd surmised: “I think the drug companies pushed oxycodone and

oxycontin as magic pills and it has led to a lot of these issues. They have made millions of dollars off of these drugs.”

The police are here to help. Christensen explained: “There has long been the misconception that law enforcement tries to lock up low level users and throw away the key. This is simply not true. Our goal is to identify the people that are trafficking and distributing them in our community. If we can identify those responsible for feeding the habits and taking advantage of the users, we will be successful.

We would like to see the low level users get the help and treatment they need to fight their addiction.”

Todd explained: “It often starts with the pills. It might be from a sports injury or surgery. Sometimes those pills get distributed improperly to others.

Sometimes people are predisposed to addiction, and when those pills become harder and harder and expensive to get they move to another type of opiate, often heroin. The more you use opiates the more your body acclimates to it. It takes more and more to get high. Before you know it, you are just taking it to keep from being sick - going through withdrawal is the worse flu ever times fifty. So most people are not willing to go through withdrawal.”

The need to keep using results in crime. Todd said: “75-85 percent of our property crime is likely addiction driven.” It stems to theft, crimes of opportunity, trading stolen items for drugs, and more. It also involves a significant amount of felony level theft.

First responders must be careful. All Fargo law enforcement officers wear protective clothing, including gloves, gowns, masks, and eye protection, when dealing with a potential drug overdose. Todd added, “With carfentanil, you have to treat the substance like a biological weapon. The size of one or two grains of salt can kill you if you touch it. We also have to be careful about how we use our dogs.”

Hazmat suits were even brought out during the recent April West Fargo incident.

To address the problem, Todd called a joint press conference in February 2016. The Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Addiction was formed in September of 2016 to bring together a range of representatives from legal, treatment and other services with support from the Dakota Medical Foundation and the mayors of Fargo, West Fargo, Horace, Moorhead and Dilworth.

In subsequent issues of The Good Life, we will talk with members of that commission and others on the front lines of this issue in our community and explore strategies for prevention and treatment. • urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 9

MR. FULL-TIME DAD

The Toddler Diet Revolution Get Your Beach Body by Summer's End

BY: BEN HANSON – MR. FULL-TIME DAD • PHOTO BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA

Any stay-at-home parent will attest, not a day goes by without learning something new about your child, yourself or the greater experience of life. My son, Macklin, turns two in late July, and already he’s taught me valuable lessons about humility, love, creativity … even the actual process of learning itself. Somewhere along the line, he also apparently signed a lifetime contract to teach a master class on patience. It’s a pass/fail class that I had no business signing up for.

Not all lessons are quite so lofty. Often, I simply end the day with a better understanding of how to clean yogurt off the dining room wall. That was just yesterday, in fact. I was feeling pretty confident in my yogurt cleaning abilities, but Mack thought otherwise and gave me yet another chance to get it right.

As I was scrubbing, another light bulb went off. Perhaps this isn’t a cleaning lesson at all. Maybe I’ve been looking at this wall of yogurt all wrong. And it hit me. Mack’s immensely frustrating bedside manner (at the dinner table) is actually a pretty clever, five-part diet plan.

I took a step back and ran through our typical mealtime scenarios in my head. It was all there — calorie reduction, gastrointestinal maintenance, even stress control. I 10 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com

thought about calling Oprah immediately, but figured it might be too early in the process. What I need are a few real-life case studies to validate this toddler diet revolution.

So, good news for you. I realize the summer of 2017 is already half over — the longest day of the year is now in the rearview — but there’s still plenty of bathing suit season left to make one last push toward attaining a beach body worthy of a double-take. Use these tips, report back and let’s get (me) rich!

Fling Your Plate Across the Room At the outset of any new endeavor, it’s good to keep things simple. Thus, step one of the Toddler Diet Revolution™ (yes, I’ve since trademarked it) is simply to throw all of your food directly on the floor. You’re allowed one … maybe two bites, but seriously, fatty, that’s it. And if you’re an adult that still drinks cow milk, throw that on the floor, too, then use your newfound free time to deconstruct the idea of drinking cow milk.

Poop Whilst Eating Step two requires a little more effort. Maybe even a grunt or two. The concept, however, remains simple. You’ve probably heard about the concept of “calories in/calories out,” but that brings exercise into the mix, which I will assure you

now has no place in the TDR™ (also trademarked). Step two of TDR is simply to poop out those calories as soon as you take them in … right at the dinner table. You might even be able to burn an extra calorie or two by staring down each guest at the dinner table as you go about your business. In terms of sheer efficiency, you won’t find a more effective diet tip.

Exfoliate to Cut Calories Let’s be honest. The driving force behind any weight loss attempt is to look good on the outside. We can pretend we’re working toward better health and wellness, but it’s all about turning heads. The TDR takes this into account by including a step wholly dedicated to skincare. Again, sticking with the theme of simplicity, all you need to do is take the food you’d normally shove into your mouth and, instead, rub it all over your face, arms, legs, ears, neck … any exposed flesh will do. And don’t forget about your hair.

Juice It (With Your Bare Hands) Periodically, Mack will take whatever it is we’re trying to nourish him with and, instead of eating it, he’ll sit there and just squeeze the you know what out of it. It could be a sandwich, a bowl of pasta, crackers. His favorites seem to be avocado and banana (both of which happen to be great exfoliators — see step three above). I finally figured out what he was really doing: destressing.

It makes sense, and while I’m not a big fan of this step myself, it does negate the tendency to overeat due to stress.

Pretend It’s Wine If you’ve made it this far, the TDR rewards your hard work with a truly indulgent final step. You get all the delectable benefits of eating a fine meal without any of the belly bloat. It’s the chew-andspit method, and it’s as simple as it gets.

You can get elbows deep in the most delicious, most nutrient devoid fast food value meal of your choice without any of the consequences. Just chew it up, and spit it out like a sommelier exploring a new flight of reds. Simple. Effective. It’s the TDR, and it’s your answer to ending summer looking your best. •

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BY: MEGHAN FEIR • PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA

For Bob Morlock, bees mean a lot more than just stings and honey.

They’re his livelihood, and the process is much more complex than Winnie the Pooh’s precarious methods of obtaining the sweet stuff.

Morlock, a well-seasoned beekeeper in Casselton, N.D., is a part of SueBee Honey, a co-op made up of over 300 members across the U.S. and Canada. Morlock serves on their board of directors as the director for North Dakota and Canada.

A native of Sykeston, N.D., Morlock grew up adoring his time spent outside and admired the work of local beekeepers.

That prompted him to begin working for other men of the trade in high school. After studying communications at the University of North Dakota and the University of Mary, he realized his love for the outdoors still trumped any

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A Nuc, pronounced nuke, is a nucleus hive.

It has four or five frames from a working hive including a queen.

A honey bee flies 15 miles per hour

other profession. Since those college days, he’s worked for several beekeepers and owned his own business.

As with anything directly tied to nature, Morlock’s job and location changes with the passing of the seasons and the weather, but one thing remains constant: He’s always as busy as a you-know-what (a bee).

The Seasons of Beekeeping January to June: After a new year has begun, Morlock places their existing hives into beautiful almond orchards for pollination. After that, Morlock and his wife, Juli, head back to Texas and start on the production of queen bees that will eventually be kept or sold.

Eventually, they begin dividing the hives. Since some hives are lost throughout the year, this is their time to get the numbers back up and the bees healthy and strong. Splits (divided hives) are moved into new locations at least two miles apart from each other so the bees don’t find their way back to the original site. The following day, they add a queen cell and some feed. This process continues until the hives urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 13

are thriving. Thirty days later, they return and check the hives to make sure the queen is laying properly.

Come May, they’re back in Casselton transferring the welltraveled bees from the semis to their trucks before moving them to various locations on area farms.

June to September: After the bees are settled into their new locations, a short lull usually occurs before the clover and alfalfa begin pollinating.

Since June is often a wet month, they feed the bees, check on them regularly, and work on necessary, miscellaneous tasks.

By the middle to the end of June, they place supers, the portion of the bee home boxes in which the honey production occurs, on top of the hives in anticipation of the honey crop.

Zzzzzz Honey bees never sleep!

In mid-July, they take honey off and start extracting. This extraction process will continue until the first part of September.

September to January: Morlock feeds the honeybees and begins to get them ready for winter. After that, they truck some of the bees back to Texas, but the majority of the bees get sent to Idaho to spend the winter in potato sheds. The weaker bees are sent to California to gather their strength and get nursed back to health in the warmer climate before pollination in the almond orchards begins again the middle of January.

The Secret Life of Bees Is this a one-man job?

While Morlock does the beekeeping, Juli does the bookkeeping. They also hire help for taking care of the bees.

All the honey is bottled up and distributed through SueBee Honey.

How long do bees live?

During the winter months, worker bees (all female) can live up to three months when they’re just surviving and hanging out. But come spring, they only care about their job and actually work themselves to death by wearing their wings out. Bees never sleep. Let this be a lesson to all workaholics.

What do bees eat and how do they develop?

The Morlocks feed their honeybees corn syrup or liquid sugar, but when bees are developing, they’re first fed royal jelly, a high-protein food made in the head of a worker bee.

All the bees get fed that initially, but when the larvae get to a certain age, they move on to beebread, which is made

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Honey bees keep the inside of their hives at 93° F

up of honey and pollen. This is the difference that will turn one female larva into a queen or an average worker bee.

Queens-in-training stay on a strict diet of royal jelly, but that’s not the only reason queens end up larger than the rest of the bees in their colonies.

As they develop ovaries, instead of a venom sack or a stinger, they expand.

With the help of the worker bees, the first to hatch kills the other contenders for the throne. However, the bees won’t treat her as the queen until she’s mated.

What is the job of the drones?

The only purpose in life for drones, or male bees, is to mate with a virgin queen. After 15-18 drones have mated with her, those drones die and she officially begins her reign as queen of the hive.

As the bees begin to prepare for surviving winter, worker bees drag any remaining drones out of the hive and force them to starve to better sustain their winter supply of honey.

What a brutal bee world we live in.

Why is beeswax so expensive?

It takes 15 pounds of honey for a honeybee to make 1 pound of wax.

That’s, like, 30 8 oz. mason jars filled with honey to make one brick of beeswax. Beeswax not only smells delicious, it’s supposed to emit negative ions that improve air quality.

From lotions to lip balms and candles to furniture polish, beeswax has hundreds of uses.

Sweet Tips: If your honey crystalizes, it’s still good.

Honey never expires. To turn your honey into a liquid again, just place the jar in warm water in a saucepan over a stove.

When you’re buying honey, make sure it says it’s a product of the USA. Imported honey doesn’t have to follow the same standards. • urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 15

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BY: ALEXANDRA FLOERSCH • PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA

For more than three decades, Kevin Wallevand has made a living chasing down stories and bringing them to life for WDAY-TV, the Fargo-based ABC affiliate. From tales of lifesaving procedures to heroes who sacrifice everything for the good of those around them, he has heard and shared both inspiring and heartbreaking tales that have shaped the man he is today.

But in April, the 55-year-old became the story himself. After tests revealed elevated PSA levels. An MRI and biopsy confirmed the results, doctors diagnosed Wallevand with prostate 18 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com

cancer — a disease that runs in his family. With his cancer battle just beginning, the TV newsman found himself at the heart of a familiar story he’s told viewers many times throughout the years.

Thanks to the many stories of hope he has witnessed over the years, Wallevand found strength in arguably some of the most trying days of his life. He attributes this strength to those individuals who were brave enough to tell their stories.

"All the stories I've done on people battling cancer, living through it,

surviving it or not — I think back to what they went through and I'm like, ‘Hey, come on. I can suck it up through this surgery,’” he said. “I'm kind of channeling all these people that I've talked to and interviewed over the years. I'm very fortunate to have something that appears to be treatable."

Practicing for the Future Even as a young boy growing up in small-town Henning, Minn., Wallevand was fascinated by journalism.

“We were watching TV at a crazy

time,” he said. “In a way I think that was critical because I grew up in a house where you watched the news at 6 p.m. and sometimes 10 p.m. I was intrigued by Watergate, coverage of the Vietnam war, coverage of northern Ireland. I remember these conflicts."

To get into character, Wallevand would use a cardboard box to create his own set, impersonating his favorite TV anchors to report the latest news. He wasn’t afraid of people.

"I think growing up in a little town helped me. I grew up around family — everyone was urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 19

PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY: KEVIN WALLEVAND

related to me. I worked at my dad's gas station, so I had to develop good people skills."

In high school, Wallevand reveled in current events. Each morning, his teacher would record the news on his way to work and play it back for students in his class. After taking notes throughout the week, Wallevand and his classmates were tested on Friday to reveal how much they had retained about the world around them. Wallevand looked forward to it every week.

As a high schooler, he went on air for the first time.

"I did the news for our little town on a radio station out of Wadena,” he said.

“At 11 o’clock in the morning I would call in and give the basketball score from the night before, the school lunch menu and what was going on in town that day for basketball, football or whatever."

After graduating from high school in 1980, Wallevand set off to college at Minnesota State University Moorhead, where he wrote for the MSUM Advocate student newspaper.

"Then we launched Campus News at MSUM ... we were in that first class that started the weekly TV show,” he said, laughing and recalling the days.

“We were horrible — we were so bad.

It was like Saturday Night Live on steroids."

At the same time, Wallevand was 20 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com

interning with WDAY-TV four days a week. In spring of 1984, he received his degree in Mass Communications/ Broadcast Journalism. His college internship turned into a full-time offer at WDAY where he remains today as the station's senior reporter.

Chasing Down Leads With journalism under increasing public scrutiny, Wallevand feels the role of a journalist today is “more important than ever. I'm really proud of the profession,” he said. “I think it takes a lot of heat — and there are bad apples — but I think it's a great profession."

As a reporter, Wallevand loves the job of relaying information and sharing stories of unsung heroes.

"Journalism's role has always been to help inform, educate and hold public officials accountable but also be there to report and bring stories home to viewers that they may not otherwise know about,” he said.

And that’s just what he’s done.

Having traveled twice to Africa, Vietnam, Haiti, Kosovo, South America, Mongolia and the Middle East for his documentary work, Wallevand has found himself immersed in stories that are difficult to put into words.

"Families are inviting you into their lives at crazy times,” he said. “Their kid is battling cancer at the age of 4, their son just overdosed two days

before on fentanyl, someone lost their husband in a farm accident and now neighbors are coming to help them harvest. It’s these super ‘life moments’ and people are willing share them — and not all the time.

But there's a lot of people that are willing to do it and I admire that."

You’d think as a frequent flyer, Wallevand might claim traveling as the highlight of his career. But he begs to differ.

"When it comes down to memorable things, it always comes back to people's stories,” he said. "It's not like interviewing Obama — it's not fancy stuff. Even with some of the global stuff we've done — documentaries and such — the travel is great, but it still comes down to stories. Moments."

National Recognition Though Wallevand has a won a number of awards over the years, he’s hesitant to talk about them. In TV news, the work is a team effort.

There’s a lot that happens behind the camera.

“The photographer is usually the unsung hero,” he said.

Among his most notable awards are two Emmys and two national Edward R. Murrow awards.

Wallevand won an Emmy for writing “The Quilt: Hope from the Heartland” where he and his team followed a church quilt on its journey

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to a refugee camp in Angola, Africa.

"We were literally in the middle of a civil war in Angola,” he said. “We were in a refugee camp surrounded by land mines. There's no way WDAY would have sent us knowing that. But the story was incredible.”

Most recently — in October 2016 — he won his second national Edward R. Murrow award for the “Trafficked” documentary he produced with photographer Cody Rogness. The documentary covered stories of sex trafficking survivors between Fargo and western North Dakota's oil patch.

Reporting with Dignity Unfortunately, not all stories come with a happy ending. Wallevand said the most difficult part of the job is “talking with families that have lost someone — that phone call.

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and willing to talk about their loved ones. They find it cathartic. Others want nothing to do with it and I get it,” he said.

Being a journalist requires a delicate balance that’s often hard to sense. It’s about remaining sensitive even when you’re trying to meet a deadline.

"You have to find the right words without being phony,” he said. "You try to offer your sympathy but be totally respectful of what they're going through. Not everyone is there yet."

But, like any situation, strength is built during those painful moments.

“It's going to make you more empathetic, more understanding of situations of families with nothing — trying to survive on little or nothing

and facing crisis,” he said. “All that listening and then writing about it, it'll change how you view things."

Living the Good Life … Off the Record On his many work travels, Wallevand has left pieces of his heart oversees.

"We did a documentary and went to Haiti and that was going to be it,” he said. “But I stayed connected with the people. We decided to go again — not for TV but through my church. Now it's just a yearly medical/surgical mission trip.”

Having made 20 trips now, Wallevand looks forward to fundraising and helping organize some of the logistics of the yearly trip.

"You get a better view of how most of the world lives — I mean that's what

I've really learned from traveling,” he said. "When you travel to Haiti or south Sudan and you see 2-yearold kids on the verge of starvation, it changes how you view that situation. When it comes right down to it, those parents are like you, they're like me — they want their kids to survive and do well.

That's all they want. That's the one thing everyone has in common."

In his spare time, Wallevand offers his knowledge through teaching TV documentary and reporting one night a week at MSUM. When he’s not chasing his latest story, traveling to foreign countries or embarking on a mission trip, you can find him relaxing with family at the lake.

Someday — when he decides to retire — Wallevand doesn’t plan on slowing down. "I'd like to continue teaching, continue with the mission work and traveling," he said.

Until then, he’s living the good life.

"The good life means the Midwest, lakes, family, friends, hockey and faith," he said. It’s about taking advantage of the beautiful place he lives — fishing, skiing and spending time with loved ones in Otter Tail County where he grew up.

Recently the “good life” has taken on a new definition: the opportunity to live another day. After prostate surgery, Wallevand waited 7 days for pathology results following surgery. Thankfully, the report came back with good news: the cancer was contained in the prostate and removed during surgery. Wallevand got lucky but urges other men to get PSA levels checked during yearly physicals; without his checkup, Wallevand’s story may have had a much different outcome.

For everyone, the good life means something different. But sometimes, it’s as simple as the blessing of more years to live and the opportunity to keep sharing the stories you love. • urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 23

PURCHASING A

BY: MATT LACHOWITZER

Probably the #1 question I get asked no matter in the shop or out speaking is “what kind of car should I purchase?”

The second most common question I receive is “are there certain vehicles that last longer than others or are more dependable than others?” The simple answers are yes and no. I know that doesn’t answer any of your questions, but I am going to try to answer these questions throughout this article to help you with your next vehicle purchase.

Getting started, auto technicians are the best and worst people to ask these questions to. I know what you are thinking, why, you are the ones who work on them and see them every day? The problem is exactly that, we only see the broken ones, not the many that are driving around not broken down. Do we see pattern problems or issues on certain makes and models of vehicles? We sure do, but the truth is, every car has the potential to break down and leave you stranded, so doing your homework before purchasing and being a “good” vehicle owner after purchase is the best advice that I can give to you.

By doing your homework on a potential “new” vehicle, you can save yourself costly repair bills and maintenance 24 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com

USED VEHICLE costs right off the bat. The first thing when looking for a used vehicle is to make sure you ask the potential seller as many questions as possible.

Questions to make sure to ask would be: 1. Has the vehicle been in an accident?

2. Has the vehicle had any recalls performed

on it?

3. Is there anything wrong with the vehicle

that you know of?

4. Does the vehicle have a clear title?

5. Do you have the service records?

6. Do you have a Car Fax? 7. Can I speak with the previous owner

(if at a dealership), or why are you selling it?

8. Can I take it to my mechanic for an inspection?

While all of these questions are important, none is more important that taking your potential “new” vehicle into the service center you normally go to and have a thorough inspection performed. Some shops offer basic used vehicle inspections, while others may have different options of inspections, some more thorough than others. I would recommend the most thorough inspection you can have performed. It will not only give you a clear and concise picture of the “health” of the vehicle, but can also save you thousands of dollars in repairs and maintenance that may be needed right away, a cost most new vehicle owners are not prepared for right away. Your mechanics inspection can also be used as a bargaining chip when it comes to purchasing the vehicle. You can either usually negotiate a discount on the purchase price and have your mechanic take care of the necessary repairs and maintenance, or, some places will do the necessary repairs in good faith of your commitment to purchase the vehicle, both wind up being a win for you! On average, a very comprehensive used vehicle inspection uncovers roughly $2,250 worth of needed repairs and/or maintenance and a basic used vehicle inspection uncovers roughly $1,400 worth of needs repairs and/or maintenance, not bad for something that only costs somewhere between $40 and $200.

After you purchase that “new” vehicle, performing proper maintenance is the key to maintaining your investment and keeping your cost of vehicle ownership as low as possible. By performing proper maintenance at the times they are recommended, either by your owner’s manual or your mechanic, you can keep your vehicle in better health and protect your investment. Also, by performing necessary repairs recommended by your mechanic right away can save you problems down the road, and typically more costly repairs, thus protecting your investment. The biggest problem is someone buys a new vehicle, they don’t perform necessary repairs and/or maintenance, and wind up having a vehicle with several issues. They wind up trading that vehicle in for something new, and that could be the vehicle you are looking at purchasing now. So, ask yourself, would you purchase your own vehicle if it were on the lot? If you wouldn’t, you probably are not taking the proper care of your vehicle, thus lowering the trade in value, and thus hurting your bank account.

As you can see, I didn’t share the magic “this year, make, and model is the one to purchase.” The truth is, purchase what you like, but do your homework and educate yourself on the vehicle you are interested in before you buy, it will save you down the road. Also, when looking for a “new” vehicle, make sure you know the “true” cost of vehicle ownership, not just what you pay at the dealer for the vehicle, but also the cost of maintenance, repairs, insurance, and fuel. That will give you what your vehicles “true” cost will be on a monthly basis. • urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 25

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BY: MEGHAN FEIR • PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA

As the mayor of Dilworth, Chad Olson has a lot of responsibility, but that role is only one of the many titles he holds. Olson has honorably served in the Minnesota National Guard for 20 years, is a dedicated social studies teacher at Moorhead High School, owns his own residential insect control business called Mosquito Man, and, most

importantly, is a caring husband and the father of two boys.

On a lovely evening in May, I had the opportunity to sit down outside of Drekker Brewing Co. with Olson as he savored a dark brew of coffee-flavored beer. While we chatted, his wife and kids drove by in their van as the sun slanted warmly on the bustling Fargoan streets. He even swatted a mosquito at our table, free of charge.

Good Life: How do you feel about interviews?

Chad Olson: Okay, I can do city interviews, like government stuff. That’s not a problem. But I did a little research on what you talk about, and I’m like the last person you want to have a beer with.

I’m sorry.

GL: I’m having water, so it’s fine.

GL: What is the population of Dilworth?

CO: The last census was 4,024. Current estimate is about 4,400.

GL: Good, good. That’s correct. When was the last census?

CO: The last census was 7 years ago in 2010.

GL: You’re good.

GL: Since the ‘90s are making a comeback, what’s one thing you’d love to make popular again from the ‘80s or the ‘90s?

CO: Hair metal. Mötley Crüe. Poison. Skid Row. The music of the ‘80s and ‘90s would be fantastic.

GL: What about the hair?

CO: Let’s bring hair back. I just want some hair back.

GL: Which is the correct way to hang toilet paper — over or under?

CO: Which way doesn’t it break, ‘cause that’s the key.

GL: Wouldn’t it mainly depend on which ply it is and the brand?

CO: Can I go check? I’m going to say under because usually things top down have a tendency not to work.

GL: Wrong answer. I’m out of here.

CO: Now my house is going to get toilet papered.

GL: And it’s all going to get thrown over your house, not under.

GL: If you could only ever watch one movie for the rest of your life, which movie would you choose to watch? urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 27

CO: “Legally Blonde.” I don’t know what it is. Have you ever noticed that it’s on TBS every other day? I’ll stop and watch that. World Game Series VII, okay, maybe I won’t watch “Legally Blonde,” but I might be switching back and forth.

The bend and snap, I have that down.

GL: Every time you drop something is an opportunity.

GL: What’s your ancestral background?

CO: My grandfather was Italian. He was a Frisco. That’s pretty much what our family is known for. There’s some Scandinavian in us, too, which is why my last name is Olson.

But I will always say I’m American. I love this country. I don’t mean to get all nationalistic, proud and red, white and blue, but I really do.

GL: What’s one of your favorite family traditions?

CO: Growing up with my grandparents, we had big Sunday 28 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com

dinners, and that’s something my wife and I try to do, too.

My brothers, my sister, or my mom or aunt try to come over.

It’s a big deal.

GL: It’s fun to hear about other traditions because it inspires me to think of ones I’d want to start.

CO: That’s the great thing about them. My kids are 7 and 8. My wife and I have been married for 12 years. We’re starting our own traditions and starting our lives. My sons love Sunday supper. They even ask about it. They’ll ask if Auntie Joce is coming over for Sunday supper. That’s living the good life. It really is.

GL: Who would be a better successor to your role as mayor, Batma— CO: Humpty Dumpty.

GL: Okay, Batman, Superman, or Humpty Dumpty?

CO: Truth, justice, and the American way — isn’t that what

"Truth, justice, and the American way – isn't that what it's all about?"

– chad olson it’s all about? Nothing against Batman, but there isn’t room for secrets, Batcaves or gadgets. Just put it all out there with honesty and do the best job you possibly can. Both would probably do a fantastic job, but I’d have to say Superman.

GL: What’s one of your defining characteristics?

CO: I’m going to take a quote from Sergeant Patrick Lee. We went to NTC together. He was very upset with me because I’m frustratingly optimistic, so I’m going to go with that.

GL: What does the good life mean to you?

CO: The good life drove by in the van. I want time to devote to my wife and kids. If I’m able to help prepare my kids and spend time with them as they grow up, that’s the good life. • urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 29

BY: BRITTNEY GOODMAN

Shane Tibiatowski, U.S. Navy veteran, has experienced the excitement of traveling the world on three different battle tours and even apprehended several drug running ships. However, for the last seventeen years, he has served a somewhat quieter, but satisfying role as a mortgage lending officer focusing on helping other veterans. West Fargo native, Tibiatowski works at Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation in Fargo.

Tibiatowski is an award-winning specialist helping veterans own homes.

For 2016, Tibiatowski was sixth in

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the nation among lending specialists in the “Homes for Heroes” program.

Through the home loans he facilitated, he gave back $164,000 to veterans during 2016. And he proudly displays the big crystal trophy.

Graduating from West Fargo High School in 1990, seven days later he was in boot camp for the Navy in Orlando, FL. He said, “It sounds like a vacation spot, but it was not.” After ten weeks of boot camp during a very hot summer, he went to A School in Meridian, Mississippi, a place that he said “was even hotter than Florida.

There was no cool breeze.”

Tibiatowski then went to San Diego: “I chose to stay stateside and to be on the USS Chandler DDG 996 – a guided missile destroyer. I selected the Navy because I wanted to travel and, honestly, it paid the most.” He added, “Did you know that USS stands for United States Ship? Many people don’t know that.”

Stationed out of San Diego, Tibiatowski went on several Western Pacific deployments (WESTPACs) from 1990-1994 on the USS Chandler

“Because of my time in the service, I am more focused.

I treat my everyday life with focus.

My kids may say that some days I act like a drill sergeant.

Discipline is still a big thing for me.”

and stopped at many ports all over the world, including Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and more. He added, “In addition to the work, we did also get to have some necessary stress relief and fun on the way, stopping in Guam, the Philippines and Hawaii.”

His first WESTPAC was during Operation Desert Storm from JanuaryJuly 1991 and the second was from June 1993 - January 1994. During that time he was part of the Battle of Mogadishu – Operation Gothic Serpent.

In addition to serving as a damage controlman doing firefighting and ship preservation, Tibiatowski was also part of the security force, working closely with the Coast Guard. “We would go out into international waters near Mexico and Panama and board ships that were carrying drugs. There were yachts with helicopters on top of them dropping drugs. We had boats trying to outrun us and even to ram us. We were a strong steel ship, so trying to ram us just wasn’t going to happen. I experienced some interesting situations, some of which I can’t talk about.”

Tibiatowski describes boarding a yacht near Mexico: “They were trying to outrun us and throwing drugs in the water when we finally stopped them. We pointed all of our weapons at them. We watched the Coast Guard board their vessel. The smugglers’ hands were zip tied. They urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 31

were brought aboard our ship and spent a few hours in a blocked off passageway as we did not have a brig on board. They were eventually picked up by the Mexican police.”

Tibiatowski said that one of “the scariest moments” of his service was when an Iraqi aircraft was within 26 miles of his ship and enemy aircraft are not allowed to get within 32 miles of a USS: “We had this Iraqi aircraft coming straight towards us and we were literally seconds from letting our missiles go. Usually when you are out at sea you don’t have something like that happen. But when you have someone coming at you, it is different.”

Off the coast of Iraq, Tibiatowski was on watch duty looking for mines in the water using night vision goggles: “There are different kinds of mines; some of them are chained to the bottom. There are mines with chemical heads floating in the water.

The Iraqi men would throw dead sheep and goats in the water and they would eventually bloat. They would turn upside down and all four legs would stick up. So you would not know what that was in the water. Is it a mine? Mine watch was …. interesting.”

He remembered a naval recruiter who was “hot after me to sign up. He went to my sporting events. He really pushed. And 90 percent of what he told me about what to expect was, quite frankly, crap. But he was good. Well, on my last trip to the Persian Gulf, guess who I ran into sitting at a bar?

Yes, my recruiter. I sat next to him and told him, ‘Sir, you are one hell of a good liar.’”

Tibiatowski saw much of the world: “By the time I was 22 years old, I had been to Hawaii five times, and also been to Guam, Sri Lanka, India, Diego Garcia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Australia, Thailand, Hong Kong, up and down the coast of Mexico and all over the UAE.” But the travel weighed on this family man.

His first daughter, Morgan, came after his second WESTPAC. Tibiatowski said, “Although I loved the Navy and wanted to stay, being away from my family that much was hard on me. I was at sea every holiday

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for one reason or another.” Tibiatowski’s desire to be there for his family drove him to leave the service, retiring with a rank of E4. He was up for E5 but said, “I knew I was leaving and decided to make room for someone else.”

Tibiatowski has four daughters and four sons, ranging from ages 6 to 23. Two of his children are considering military service, but he says, “It is up to them. I would not sway them.”

Part of his service included humanitarian work in third world countries involving construction. Tibiatowski asserted: “It is important to give back. I show my kids that humanitarianism is important.”

Tibiatowski has gained perspective: “I look back at my time on the ship, and everything was arranged and done so strategically. Our young, naïve crew was trained well and we discovered just how important every single role on the ship was. As I sit back and look at it 27 years later, there were so many reasons behind how it was done. It was a big deal.”

“We had boats trying to outrun us and even to ram us. We were a strong steel ship, so trying to ram us just wasn’t going to happen.

I experienced some interesting situations, some of which I can’t talk about.” – Shane Tibiatowski

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His Navy friendships are valued: “I made many life-long friends in the Navy. We had a reunion last July. I keep in touch with a few of them. I’ve done mortgage loans for a few of them. The ties are strong. It’s a brotherhood.”

Tibiatowski recollected: “When I went into the military, I was arrogant. I had excelled at sports. But when I got to boot camp, I got knocked down a few notches. Right away, they show you that you belong to the government. It is a humbling experience – the discipline – everything from making the bed to how you fold clothes. I still fold my clothes the way I did in the military. Being from North Dakota, you go into it with a good work ethic. But I did not know what to expect. At both boot camp and A School I was thinking ‘Holy cow... Am I really in this? Can I really do this?’ But then you get to use the skills they taught you. The discipline learned in the Navy has set me up for even more success than I imagined I could ever have.

Because of my time in the service, I am more focused. I treat my everyday life with focus. My kids may say that some days I act like a drill sergeant. Discipline is still a big thing for me.”

He ran into his commanding officer years after he left the service: “I got to tell him what he did for me. Although he was awfully hard on me, it helped me be the sailor that I was and the man that I am.”

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Absolutely. “ Without any doubt, I would do it again.”

It all comes full circle: “The biggest thing for me, in the position that I had in the military and now having this job is to be able to give back to veterans.

It is huge for me, because I know that a lot of them get taken advantage of. I want them to get into the home they deserve for the right price and the right interest rate. VA loans are amazing. There are many great advantages that many veterans do not know about.”

When asked what the phrase “the good life” means to him, Tibiatowski enthusiastically answered: “’The good life’ means being healthy, happy and able to provide for my family. I don’t need to be a millionaire or go on exotic vacations. I enjoy being able to give back — to be able to watch my kids grow and be healthy. To me that’s the good life. It’s having my family – I love that.”

Finally, I asked Tibiatowski if, going back in time, and given the choice to again join the Navy, if he would do it and he said: “Absolutely. Without any doubt, I would do it again.” •

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